FINALLY AVAILABLE: A NEW LEAF (1971) Starring Walter Matthau and Elaine May

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I'm happy to announce that the best romantic comedy of the 1970's, 80's, 90's and on into the 21st century is FINALLY available on Netflix for home viewing. After waiting and waiting, practically growing a beard waiting,  Walter Matthau and Elaine May are now only as far away as your nearest mail box.

THE HEAVENS REJOICE!

(Unless you already own the film which in that case places you in the league of rare and most fortunate of earth creatures.

Look at that body language. Elaine May and Walter Matthau - source

A NEW LEAF, in my un-biased opinion, is a romantic comedy for the ages. Hyperbole? I think not. If this film doesn't make you laugh, then ladies and gents, woe to you.

Yes, I know I've raved about this movie plenty of times before. But when has that ever stopped me from returning to rave some more? 

At some point I got tired of people saying "Huh? I never heard of this movie." HEY - your loss. Not my fault. I told you about the genius of Elaine May. Well, maybe not in exactly those words, but close enough. After all she wrote, directed and stars in A NEW LEAF so we can only assume the film reflects her unique magnificence.

Read Roger Ebert's review if you don't believe me: Roger Ebert reviews A NEW LEAF.

And if you're still not convinced, read: Ferdy on Film's Review which informs us that the film is now available in 'gorgeous blu-ray'. I mean, really, can it get any better?

Now read my previous review if you still don't believe (Jeez are you hard to convince!): My review of A NEW LEAF.

Now is the time to act, movie mavens! Get your hands on A NEW LEAF and not only be prepared to laugh but also to be unexpectedly touched. See how the most obnoxious, reprehensible gold digging ex-rich boy, Henry Graham (Walter Matthau), is brought to heel by his purely unexpected affection for Henrietta Lowell (Elaine May) the most fumblingly hapless, klutzy millionaire professor of botany who has ever lived. (But maybe not for long if Henry decides to carry through with his murder plans. The cad.)

How I envy those of you seeing this for the first time.....Sigh!

Since this is Tuesday, don't forget to check in at Todd Mason's blog, Sweet Freedom, to see what other Forgotten (or Overlooked) Films, Television and/or Other Audio Visuals, other bloggers are talking about today. We're a happy enough crew.

Tuesday's Overlooked (or Forgotten) Film: HOPSCOTCH (1980) starring Walter Matthau and Glenda Jackson

I don't know how I missed this little gem the first time around, but I'm so glad I finally saw it this past week. I love Walter Matthau (even with his hairy ears), most especially when he plays the smartest person in the room with that sly twinkle in his eye.

HOPSCOTCH (1980) is a film directed by Ronald Neame, written by Brian Garfield (based on his book) and Bryan Forbes and starring not only Walter Matthau but the wonderful (not to mention, brilliant) Glenda Jackson and co-starring Sam Waterston, Ned Beatty and Herbert Lom. (Not bad - huh?) I am slowly beginning to think that the 80's spawned some pretty terrific movies. Even if the fashions were awful - though not as godawful as the 70's which were the bottom of an abyss as far as fashions go. But I digress.

Herbert Lom and Walter Matthau fellow spies, pragmatic and wise to the games governments play.

Think of HOPSCOTCH as a geriatric Jason Bourne spy thriller without the memory loss, the physical beauty and super-human prowess, the shooting and killing and strangling, the electronic gadgetry and the lightning quick editing. So, what's left?

Ned Beatty trying to look tall.

Oh, just Walter Matthau as CIA agent Miles Kendig and that's more than enough.

The Plot: 

Upon his return to Washington from his most recent spy sojourn overseas, Kendig is demoted to a filing desk job by Myerson (Ned Beatty), his spiteful/hateful/incompetent boss who is also, as Kendig never tires of reminding him - short.

Sam Waterston, not as schmoey as he would appear in this scene.

Not only that but Kendig's assistant, Cutter (Sam Waterston), will now head the Overseas Section.

The boss doesn't like that Kendig allowed the head of the KGB (Yaskov, an old friend - Herbert Lom) to get away after Yaskov failed in his mission to steal a certain microfilm. Kendig explains that if he'd captured Yaskov, the KGB would only assign someone else. Someone new. Someone whom he might not know as well as he knows the current chief. "I know how he thinks," says Kendig. But Myerson is immune to intelligent subtlety.

Kendig will spend the rest of his tenure as a filing clerk.

So the first thing he does is nonchalantly stroll down to records and shred his entire personnel file. Then, rather than report to his new desk job, Kendig goes off to Salzburg to spend a little quality time with a widow lady.

Matthau and Glenda Jackson who can do nothing wrong in my book.

Kendig then decides, in a stroke of genius, to write his memoirs and reveal all the dirty secrets Washington (and Myerson, not to mention, the Russians and everyone else in authority) wants kept hidden.

In this endeavor, Kendig unites with Isobel (Glenda Jackson in a fetching short haircut) - a widow who lives in Salzburg and is used to Kendig's hijinks - she is ex-agency as well. She will help him in his plans to screw the CIA and live to tell about it though, admittedly, she thinks he's crazy.

A writer's work is never done.

It is obvious from the getgo that Kendig IS the smartest person in the room (and the best secret agent) at any given moment and knows it. After years of towing the official line (though in his own admittedly eccentric way), he is ready to pull off the biggest caper of his spying career. It's all revenge fantasy, but Kendig is just the guy to carry it off. You never doubt him even when things don't go completely as planned.

Once he begins writing the book he starts sending each finished chapter to Myerson in Washington and to the Russians and several other significant persons of interest.

Myerson wants Kendig stopped or (preferably) taken out but Cutter (Sam Waterston) appears unconcerned. He realizes that Kendig is playing a game and that eventually he'll call it off. Cutter likes and admires Kendig, but still, at the end of the day he has a job to do.

The chase is on from Washington to Salzburg to London to Washington again, to Savannah, Georgia (in one of the funniest sequences in the movie) to Bermuda, to England again with Kendig always one step ahead of his former cohorts.

Oh what a wonderful cat and mouse game. The screenplay is not only funny but intelligent and witty with nary any of the regular spy movie cliches we've come to expect. The soundtrack is mostly Mozart with some Puccini and Giacomo Rossini thrown in for good measure.

One of my favorite scenes: Kendig crossing the border into Germany while singing (?) along (at the top of his lungs) to an aria from The Barber of Seville. The crossing guard is left shaking his head (crazy Americans) and no wonder.

If you love spy movies but not necessarily the lethal blood and guts that usually accompany them (believe me you won't miss it) and you love a great story with an intelligent cast of actors doing what they do best, line up HOPSCOTCH on your Netflix queue because it's currently available for streaming. Hooray!

The interesting thing is that none of what Kendig gets away with would likely be possible today because of all the electronic tracking paraphernalia we are so accustomed to. But that's neither here not there, the movie takes place way back when and it works splendidly.

Oh, meant to mention that there's also a Doberman Pinscher featured prominently in some scenes. A dog after my own heart.

It's Tuesday and of course, it's Overlooked (or Forgotten) Film day - the weekly meme hosted by Todd Mason at his blog Sweet Freedom. So don't forget to check in and see what other movies other bloggers are reminding us of today.

A Favorite Film: A New Leaf starring Walter Matthau and Elaine May

I was going to talk about a Christmas movie today, but then I remembered that I'd already listed my favorites on a previous post a while back, so decided to talk about one of my favorite romantic comedies instead. Romantic comedies (the rare good ones) are fun at any time of the year - don't you think?



A NEW LEAF starring Walter Matthau and Elaine May (who also directed) is one of my favorite films of the 1970's. It is also on my list of Top Five Romantic Comedies of all time. It is everything a film should be on so many levels: screenplay, direction, acting, you name it. It is, to my mind, the perfect romantic comedy starring what is, admittedly, not a very romantic individual: Walter Matthau.

Here's the story: Henry Graham (played by Walter Matthau) is a fastidious, grumpy, upper crust snob, living the life of a wealthy n'er-do-well in fashionable New York circles. But after years of carelessly living on the principle rather than the interest, he finds he's gone through the enormous fortune he inherited. Henry is bottomed out, tapped out, done for. (The scene at his lawyer's office when he discovers the bleakness of his situation is one of many hilarious moments in the film.) There's not a penny left (he can't even pay his butler's salary). Since, admittedly all Henry has ever wanted to be is a 'rich man', there's not much he isn't willing to do to replenish the coffers.

The build-up to the moment when Henry finally decides what he must do in order to continue living his egocentric, hedonistic lifestyle is made up of little oh-so-hilarious vignettes as Henry slowly, painfully, stops denying the truth and decides on a course of action: he must marry money. Not that he intends on staying married, no, his scheme calls for a bit of murder.

The habitually squeamish Henry considers this sort of thing (marriage not murder) a debasement of himself and his values. He doesn't even like women much. Not that he's gay - if anything he seems asexual - he's just one of those men who prefers a solitary life of selfish luxury. The idea of having to marry now, at this stage in his life, is abhorrent to him.

Walter Matthau is so perfect in these scenes; while you laugh at his situation, his obvious distaste, his discomfort, you also, in some odd way, completely understand his point of view. That's the beauty of the screenplay by Elaine May and Jack Ritchie. (I understand this film is considered the 'butchered' version of the original, but if so, it's still quite wonderful enough.)

More vignettes follow as Henry begins searching for someone rich enough and gullible enough -eligible women who are known to have money - to fall for his rather obvious gold-digging scheme. (The rumors are circulating that he's broke.) His obnoxious uncle, played by James Coco, has staked Henry to a loan and bet him that by a certain date he can't repay it (Henry uses the last of his expensive possessions including his Porsche as collateral.) The money goes to fund Henry's must get married scheme.

Enter Elaine May as Henrietta Lowell, a pathetically clumsy, charmless, clueless heiress with piles of money and a mansion staffed with loathsome, larcenous servants. Besides being an heiress, Henrietta is a botanist, a professor at a local college - leaves and plant life are her main interesta in life. Her goal: to discover a new plant species and have it named after her.

Henrietta falls for Henry when he comes to her aid - socially speaking - at a tea party. From then on Henry steps in whenever she needs saving from disaster usually brought about by her extreme clumsiness. Elaine May plays this part for all it's worth: she is a total social and aesthetic disaster. When she eats, food splatters her clothing and elsewhere, when she moves about, objects go flying. She is nothing short of a walking train wreck. As far as Henry is concerned she is the perfect patsy.

He decides to marry her immediately.

Well, you know what's coming, if you know anything about romantic comedies. But how these two work their way towards an ending which is one of the best and most satisfying (at least to me) in movie history, is a total joy to watch. As Henry dreams about murdering his bride on their honeymoon, he is, in actual fact and against his better judgement, taking pretty good care of her. His understanding of her faults and eccentricities is an almost instinctual thing. It's as if he was born to take care of her. (Matthau was born to play this part. I can't imagine any other actor as Henry.) These two were meant for each other.

This is such a funny movie. But while you're laughing, Henry and Henrietta have worked their magic - somehow - inevitably, you begin to care what happens to them. Two characters that, at first glance, are utterly charmless and unlikeable, become just the opposite.

What a terrific movie. I absolutely love it.

And by the way: the supporting cast of characters is almost as good as Matthau and May.

There's James Coco, Jack Weston, George Rose, Doris Roberts, Renee Taylor and William Redfield among others. It's rare to see a film so perfectly cast from top to bottom.